X (poem)

my poetic thoughts on this headline I woke up to today: "State Dept. Halts Passport Applications

with Gender Nonbinary “X” Marker"

the letters M, F, and X with checkboxes beside them. The X box is exed out in violet

---

I was "X" before you decreed to ex out

my existence from passports and public life.

My given last name, abbreviated X because

"it was all Greek", too Greek, too alien

to most in these so-called "United"

States and kids who grew up

to become bible-thumping bigots

and made sure that X was wrong too

and needed to go back to its own country.

Your fixation on what's between legs

instead of inside people's heads

engenders what's wrong with this country

devoid of compassion and common sense.

The only use I have for this mandatory F

is F for I don't give a Fuck about your

fucked up opinions that know

no conscience or science, just division.

I eXist.

I am loudly proud (and terrified) to be

the nonbinary neurodivergent immigrant

you so desperately want to draw a big X over.

But I’ve been overcoming generational trauma

and bullying and abuse all my life

to back down now; I refuse to hide!